Garden out and doing great

[Western]

You might try a few "streamers" to ward off a hawk. I know Owls will get'm too!

 

[jinman]

Carolyn, I was in Lowe's yesterday, and they had lots of bird netting in rolls and folded for large pieces that could cover your coop and fenced in area. I like touching and feeling things before buying them, so seeing the product in Lowe's or TSC works best for me. Then, if I like it, I can normally find it on the web. I ordered four 100' rolls of deer netting on the web at a reasonable price with free shipping. It sure keeps most pests out of our garden and can easily be strung between 8' t-posts that are 25' apart or more. It's not decorative, but it sure is effective.:thumbsup:

BTW: I lost 2 Early Girl tomato plants. I think I damaged the root and stem as I was planting. Anyhow, we saw plants in Lowe's yesterday that were about 16" tall in 5" pots. They were expensive at $3.68 each, but they will probably grow and produce tomatoes at least 2 weeks before my much smaller plants I bought for $10 per flat at the nursery.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

It didn't work, lost 2 more today. I never thought to look at Lowes just ordered it. I might go up there and buy some and send it back. As my tenant said by the time I get it they are going to have eaten them all. I also need some for my fruit trees or the squirrels will eat everything off.

So only 14 left out of 24 and they were expensive. It's just to warm to keep them in the chicken house. I say that, its between a bit. I can open the screened in windows but not quite ready yet. I will buy more, but I've never had this problem before. Dogs yes. And I spent a lot having a new park bult and wire buried in the ground plus 5 ft tall to keep the dogs out and decided I wasn't going to let them in the yard this time.

I'm wondering if its because its so dry that the hawks can't find little varmints to eat so are going after the chicks, just never had this issue before.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I watered today, gosh its dry. I was out in the far yard and I'm starting to see some small cracks in the dirt. We should be flush with water and rain right now. I think its going to be a terrible summer if we don't get some rain and we just don't in the summer.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

We set out 20 pepper plants yesterday: 8 sweet banana, 4 pimento, 4 red bell pepper, 4 green bell pepper.

I did almost the same thing two years ago. Only problem came last year, when I planted seeds I'd saved from the best of the bunch. No matter which 2009 plant the seeds came from, the 2010 plants all produced red/green belanimentos. Gonna need more space between the plants, in the future.

Stabilist-- I think the bird netting works best if you wrap it around the hawks.

 

[jinman]

I did almost the same thing two years ago. Only problem came last year, when I planted seeds I'd saved from the best of the bunch. No matter which 2009 plant the seeds came from, the 2010 plants all produced red/green belanimentos. Gonna need more space between the plants, in the future.

Joe, I never plant seeds for peppers, tomatoes, or onions. With the price and varieties available with buying sets, I just never thought it was economically feasible to plant my own seeds and raise seedlings to set out except for some seeds a TBNer sent me a few years back. Also a few years ago, I planted some Japanese and Isreal melons in with regular cantaloupes. When I replanted the seeds the next year, I saw that the new fruits seemed to be a cross between all three rather than a pure variety. I noticed that my nursery has some ****** melon sets a few days ago. When I go back to get bedding flowers in a week or so, I may buy some ****** melon sets. They are very tasty and sweeter than normal cantaloupes.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I netted that whole dang park. I'm going to win over those devils or die fighting.

I also bought 10 barred rocks to replace the others lost. Awfully optimistic aren't I?:laughing:

 

[jinman]

Oh Boy! Good luck Carolyn. I hope you have lots of frustrated hawks after all of this. I hope it's not a sneaky skunk getting your chicks. I don't know how that could be without a mess of feathers and down around on the ground though.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

My husband laughed and said what are these chickens costing me?:laughing: He doesn't even care to eat chicken!:licking: I love fried chicken, but he likes noodles and things made from them. I couldn't stand the red bones anymore is why I started raising them. I hope to get 24 in the freezer. But now I have some a few days old and some about 4 weeks old or more. Hubby says well at least you won't have them all to dress out at once.

Went out to the garden today, I likely will be canning green beans next week. Pickled beets, next week or week after. I'm thinking of planting flowers where I clean out rows of veggies, that should be pretty.

I sure hope it doesn't get to hot and ruin my tomatoes, crossing my fingers here.

I am having to water and water. Tomorrow up to water our sweet corn and plant cantaloupe and watermelon.

 

[jimmyj]

Sorry about the chicks, I hope your netting saves the rest of them.

I am so jealous of the gardening you are doing. We have some stuff that is cold tolerant JUST started in the greenhouse but we are a ways a way from real gardening yet.

Thanks for the posts, makes me feel spring is really coming!

 

[bonefish101]

There have been people really hurt down here being attacked by those. I'm so allergic to things I fear if a bunch stung me they might kill me. Need to get more benadryl to keep on hand.[/QUOTE]

You may want to carry an Epi-Pen, if you dont already have one....

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I used to have one. The first time I ever got bitten my foot swelled up and practically turned black. It was on a weekend and I thought I would be ok, my heart started pounding so I took quite a few benadryl, next day went to the ER. The doc said if I hadn't taken the benadryl it would have likely killed me. So he gave me an epi pen and showed me how to use it. But noone else would ever refill it.

That doc said the poison is cumulative from fire ants. He said you might get bit a 100 times and nothing then 1 and kill you. I just keep benadryl and if I get bit I take one or two. So far so good. I've never had anything like that again.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Today hubby and I went up to the rental duplex, its on a acre. He hauled the tractor and brushhog and I hauled the mower and tiller. What a crew. He mowed the back and brushhogged the neighbor ladies back lot. She is 87 and her husband died some years back, so he tries to help her keep it down.

We planted 3 more rows of corn after he disked up another area. I tilled what was already there and up. Then added cantaloupe and watermelon. I did transplants instead of seeds, a bit late for seeds. We will share with the tenants and the elderly neighbor. Wanted to plant up there for a long time just never had the time before. So hubby went on to mow at some more lots and I stayed and did the weedeating and watered the garden really good. I may add a few more plants so the tenants and neighbor can have some. They are all alone no DH like mine!

I went to McDonalds and had some fries and a coke while cooling down and got the dog an ice creme cone. He loves ice cream

Later I was driving home, dirty, tired, sweaty. His old truck got all dusty from the mower, the dog has his head out the window taking in life, I'm listening to country music. I'm thinking, you know it just doesn't get any better then this! Hauling dads old tractor back home that hubby cherishes, working together on things. Life is good! I like working in the dirt.

We have been married 43 years, I sure hope we have a lot more and are able to do things just like we are right now. We don't have to do this stuff but we both like it.

Tonight out to dinner.:licking:

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

No hawk casualties yesterday or today. YAH!

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Ok, guys, my first green beans of 2011!

I went to pick enough for dinner, thought I only had a few and ended up with a 5 gallon bucket of them. There is a small layer of zucchini in there but not enough to change it much.

We had a big pot of beans cooked with bacon with dinner. Then I put a 2 1/2 gallon bag full in the fridge. Going to cook them tomorrow and freeze in containers to heat up.

I told Tom there are so many blooms I may be up to my ears in beans. I plan on canning 30 quarts, I have several left from last year. Want to eat all we want then share with tenants and neighbors.

I know the bees I'm seeing are helping them produce, the little black bottom bees.

 

[jeffreythree]

I envy you and that big bucket of green beans. I get to pick and replant what I can after last nights storm tore everything to shreds with golfball size hail, but to late to replant my snowpeas that were just starting to produce like crazy .

 

[jinman]

No hawk casualties yesterday or today. YAH!

Woohoo! You da wo-man! Nice work!:thumbsup:

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

We had some pretty strong winds, but I know we were fortunate. North of us toward Dallas, Granville, they said this morning, got almost 80mph straight line winds last night. I'm afraid if we had gotten hail or wind I might not have replanted this year. It's getting hot already. It is so dry here I water sections of the garden for 2 hours at a time. I'm watering everyother day and the beets were wilted yesterday! It's unreal, I don't think I've ever seen it this bad. Which reminds me, I better water all my little fruit trees or could lose them.

I watered the chickens late last night and was filling the tub for BJ the dog and forgot it was on. I went out this morning and water was around the chicken house. But even running like that for hours I was amazed that there was no more water then that, it had soaked in. Lucky I didn't burn the water pump up. But at least it was the old well.

They are talking 30% chance of rain today, then 48 degrees tonight. What a flutuation.

 

[SandburRanch]

I watered the chickens late last night and was filling the tub for BJ the dog and forgot it was on. I went out this morning and water was around the chicken house.

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So you can't multi-task either.:laughing:

I've learned to use a timer. Well, some of the time. I need a pocket timer though. No, not to time my pocket.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I used to be able to, but these senior moments are getting more frequent and longer, sigh.:ashamed: